Substrate support apparatus and vacuum processing apparatus

Abstract

A substrate support apparatus which can support a substrate having a center hole, comprises a support portion which can support the substrate. The support portion includes a support groove with a cross-sectional shape in which a groove width gradually increases in a counter-gravitational direction, and a width of the support groove between two end portions is larger than a width of the support groove at the center thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A substrate support apparatus which can support a substrate having a center hole, comprising:
 a support portion which can support the substrate, 
 wherein said support portion includes a support groove with a cross-sectional shape in which a groove width gradually increases in a counter-gravitational direction, 
 wherein a width of said support groove at two end portions of a longitudinal direction is larger than a width of said support groove at the center of a longitudinal direction thereof, 
 wherein the support groove is formed in an arc which is convex in the counter-gravitational direction, and a curvature radius of the arc is larger than a curvature radius of the center hole in the substrate, and 
 wherein both wall surfaces of the support groove are configured to contact the substrate at four positions located between the center of the longitudinal direction of the support groove and the two end portions of the longitudinal direction of the support groove. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said support portion includes a first support block including said support groove, and a second support block which can lock the substrate on an outer periphery of the substrate. 
 
     
     
       3. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a driving source which operates said support portion in a forward/backward moving direction, a rotation direction, and a vertical direction. 
 
     
     
       4. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said support groove in said support portion supports the substrate upon coming into contact with an inner periphery of the substrate defining the center hole. 
     
     
       5. A vacuum processing apparatus comprising a substrate support apparatus defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
       6. The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said both wall surfaces of the support groove are configured not to contact the substrate at a center position of the longitudinal direction of the support groove.